Alternate etymology traces drum directly from Dutch, Middle (ca.1050-1350) tromme or gml trumme.

drum (plural drums)

1. A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber, affecting what materials are used to make it; a membranophone.

   Hypernyms: percussion instrument

2. Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.

   Replace the drum unit of your printer.

3. A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.

   The restaurant ordered ketchup in 50-gallon drums.

4. (obsolete or historical) A social gathering or assembly held in the evening.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, page 631:

     Another misfortune which befel poor Sophia, was the company of Lord Fellamar, whom she met at the opera, and who attended her to the drum.

5. (architecture) The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.
6. (architecture) Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.
7. A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
8. (slang, UK) A person's home.
9. (AU slang) A tip#Etymology 5|tip; a piece of information.
   • 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber 2003, page 258:

     ‘he is the darndest little speaker we got, so better sit there and listen to him while he gives you the drum and if you clean out your earholes you might get a bit of sense into your heads.’

• French: tambour, batterie
• German: Trommel
• Italian: batteria
• Portuguese: tambor
• Russian: бараба́н
• Spanish: tambor

• French: tambour, cylindre
• German: Trommel
• Italian: bidone
• Portuguese: tambor
• Russian: бараба́н
• Spanish: tambor, cilindro

• French: tonneau, baril, bidon
• German: Fass
• Italian: bidone
• Portuguese: barril
• Russian: бо́чка
• Spanish: barril, bidón

drum (drums, present participle drumming; past and past participle drummed)

1. (intransitive) To beat a drum.
2. (ambitransitive) To beat with a rapid succession of strokes.

   The ruffed grouse drums with his wings.

   • drumming with his fingers on the arm of his chair

3. (transitive) To drill or review in an attempt to establish memorization.

   He’s still trying to drum Spanish verb conjugations into my head.

4. To throb, as the heart.
5. To go about, as a drummer does, to gather recruits, to draw or secure partisans, customers, etc.; used with for.

• German: trommeln
• Portuguese: batucar
• Russian: бить в бараба́н

• German: trommeln
• Portuguese: batucar
• Russian: бараба́нить
• Spanish: tamborear

• German: einpauken, einbläuen
• Russian: вда́лбливать
• Spanish: inculcar, recalcar

drum (plural drums)

1. A small hill or ridge of hills.

1. Surname